Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...

[The judgment of Solomon between the two women.]

¶ In his kyngdome þe forme dawes Among his folk he set his lawes And dud hem streitly to ȝeme Miȝt no mon more riȝtly deme Among his riȝtwise domes rif Line 8587 here how he felde a strif Mister wymmen wer þer twynne þat lad her lyf in sake & synne Housyng had þei noon to note Boþe þei dwelt in a cote Line 8592

Line 8592 Boþe on a nyȝt liȝter were þai And boþe at ones in gesyn lay Boþe were knaues þat þei bare her modris ful nedy ware Line 8596 þei had no cradles ne wiþ to by Bud dud her childre bi hem to ly her beddyng was to hem so nede hit miȝt not be parted in dede Line 8600 Of þese wymmen soone þe toon In bed slepyng hir son had slon As wymmen done ryuely þat ȝonge childre leyn hem by Line 8604 whenne she fond hir childe was deed Coude she fyndė no bettur reed Fro hir fere she stale hir barn And leide hiren þere þat was forfarn Line 8608 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] So in bed stiffe she lay As she had slepte til þe day

þe toþer wommon whenne she wok And bigon hir childe to lok Line 8616 She fond hit ded liggyng hir by Allas she seide þat born was I Mi childe is slayn & I noot how Colde haþ slayn hit as I trow Line 8620 þe childe in barm to fire she bare Wel she wende to quyke hit þare Al for nouȝt hit was for leyn hit miȝt not quyke to lif aȝeyn Line 8624 She hir biþouȝte in short while þat of hir childe she had gyle whenne she soþely hadde knowen þat þe childe was not hir owen Line 8628

Line 8628 To hir felowe she leep in hy And þerwiþ ȝaf a mychel cry She seide wicked be þe wo whi hastou me bigiled so Line 8632 Of my childe þat my self bere ȝyue me hit anoon now here [folio 54b:1] ȝyue me my childe þou fro me stal þe toþer seide þou liest al Line 8636 I hit bar and hit is myne þe þede childe soþely is þine þat þou slowȝe whil þou slepte Ful wel haue I myn kepte Line 8640 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

She seide þou liest wicke wommon þou shal þerof be ouer goon Line 8644 My quyke childe þou hast stolen to þe And þi dede childe leide by me þou shal hit ȝelde to me al whenne iuggement þer of be shal Line 8648 wiþ þis þei coom bifore þe kyng Alle folwed hem olde & ȝyng Muche pepul of mony toun Of þat doom to here resoun Line 8652 Soone wiþ salomon þei met vndir þe tre þere he was set þere he moost his witt souȝt Of alle þingis þat he wrouȝt Line 8656 whenne þei weren biforn him þere Furst spak she þe furst childe bere She seide saf be þou salomone Kyng sittyng in þi trone Line 8660 Lord þi pore wommon þou here And riȝtwis deme in þis mistere þese wymmen þat ȝe se here stonde we are boþe in o hous dwellonde Line 8664

Line 8664 Boþe at ones wiþ childe we were And boþe at ones oure children bere In wonyng were we stad not wide And leide oure childre bi oure syde Line 8668 But weyleway hit so bifel Mi fere in bed hir childe dud quel Siþ she leide hit priuely whil I slepte in bed me by Line 8672 And stal my lyuyng childe away Til I knew wel bi liȝt of day Of þis tresoun she had me done I hir resoned also sone Line 8676 But myȝt I neuer hidur tille No childe gete for good nor ille

¶ þou liest seide þe toþer þon Line 8679 Ful bitturly as euel wommon þouȝte I neuer þi childe to stele But wommon am I trewe & lele þis childe in myn arm is myn Line 8683 And þat þat is deed hit is þyn Of my wombe þis childe was born And þou wiþ shame þin hast lorn þe dede is þin & myn þe quyke Suche wordes spak þat wommon wike

¶ þe toþer seide alas sir kyng Line 8689 And þerwiþ gon hir hondis wryng I se my childe is me wiþdrawen I shal not com to myn awen þou do me bote aȝein þis bolde For al þe soþe I haue þe tolde Line 8694

¶ þe kyng þat was so sliȝe a clerk war & wys in al his werk Of þis pleynt merueiled sore As caas þat had not com to-fore Line 8698 Lordingis he seide þis wommon here Seiþ þat þe quyke childe she bere

þer aȝeyn seiþ þe toþer She is þe modir & noon oþer Parte in þe dede haue þei noon þei cleyme þerof blood nor boon Line 8704 But of þe quyke boþe wolde be Modir as ȝe here & se But modir may hit haue but oon To proue hit shul we soone goon Line 8708 And eiþer wolde haue hit al But þerto may þei not fal Me þinkeþ bi al maner art Bitwene hem we mot hit part Line 8712 And siþþen þat þei wol so wiþ swerd hit shal be delt in two Eiþer shul to o side stonde Anoon fet me my swerd in honde

¶ þe wommon þat þe modir was [folio 55a:1] Line 8717 Fel to grounde & cryed allas And seide lord god hit shilde þat þou sir kyng sle my childe Line 8720 ȝyue hir al my childe alone þat is better þen hit be slone Of him I ȝyue to hir my riȝt Or he shulde so be diȝt Line 8724

¶ þe toþer seide not shal he hool be ȝyuen to þe ny me But boldely delt mot he be As þe kyng haþ seide in se Line 8728 Euer þe toþer seide in sawe Lord let not my childe be slawe For no þing þat may bifalle Lordyngis he seide þis here ȝe alle To whiche of þese shal I hit deme Line 8733 Say me what wol best biseme þei seide sir bi þis day we noot bi twene hem what to say Line 8736

Line 8736

he seide herde ȝe not þat oon wolde haue him quyke anoþer sloon þe ton wolde dele þe childe in two þe toþer wolde not let him slo Line 8740 wherfore I ȝou rede þe childe be not done to dede But bitake him to þat wif þat so fayn wolde haue his lif Line 8744 For she þat halt his lif so dere his modir is wiþ outen were þis doom þei seide is of prise Alle þonked salomon þe wise Line 8748 hir childe she toke & hoom she gos of þis doom fer sprong þe loos Alle þat spake of salomon Seide so wys was neuer noon Line 8752 Ny craftier in werke of honde Was neuer founden noon in londe Ne neuer noon þat had I wis So mychel wele of worldly blis Line 8756